


don't know how lovely you are

by theglitterati



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: (husband but whatever), Akaashi Keiji is a Good Boyfriend, Anxious Bokuto Koutarou, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Married Life, Office Party, Supportive Akaashi Keiji
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:28:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24664621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theglitterati/pseuds/theglitterati
Summary: Bokuto is nervous to meet Akaashi's coworkers because he thinks he won't fit in. It goes better than expected.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 17
Kudos: 358





	don't know how lovely you are

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from "The Scientist" by Coldplay.

“Babe! I don’t think this shirt fits me anymore!”

Akaashi sighed before heading into the bedroom. _Bokuto-san excuse number nineteen for things he doesn’t want to do_ : ‘ _My clothes don’t fit.’_

Akaashi found him standing in front of the mirror, looking like the Hulk in a button-down two sizes too small. “It doesn’t fit because that one’s mine.”

“Oh. That makes sense.” Bokuto wriggled out of the shirt and tossed it on the bed. Akaashi tried, and failed, not to stare at his husband as he stripped. He’d somehow put on even more muscle lately, and even barefoot and in dress pants unbuttoned over electric blue boxers, he looked great.

Bokuto scratched his head. “Um, actually, I don’t think I’m feeling very well,” he said.

 _Excuse number three._ “You tried that one already.”

“I must feel pretty bad, then, if I said it twice!”

Akaashi sighed again. (When was he not sighing at his husband?) He sat on the bed, patting the spot next to him. “Sit down, please.” Bokuto sat. “Why don’t you want to go to the party tonight, _otto?”_

“I didn’t say I didn’t want to go! I just said I wasn’t feeling well!”

“You also said your shirt didn’t fit, and that you had an extra practice tonight, and that you had to babysit your nephew. And you don’t have a nephew, Kou.”

“Gah.” Bokuto scrubbed a hand over his face. “You caught me.”

Akaashi caught his hand and held it. “What’s the real reason you don’t want to go? If you’re upset, I want to know why.”

Bokuto bit his lip. “It’s kinda stupid.”

“If it’s upsetting you, it’s not stupid,” Akaashi said.

“Ah, okay, it’s just… well, I dunno. I haven’t really spent much time with your work friends before…” Bokuto paused.

“And?”

“And… I dunno,” he said again. “They’re all, like, writers and editors and stuff, you know? And I’m like…”

“A volleyball player?” Akaashi guessed.

“Kinda dumb.”

Akaashi recoiled. “What?!”

“I know you don’t like it when I say stuff like that, but it’s true—”

“It’s not!”

“— and I don’t really know how to talk to, like, writer people.”

Akaashi snorted. “It’s shonen manga, Kou. It’s not exactly Murakami.”

“Who?” Bokuto asked weakly. “Plus, I mean, look at me” — he gestured down at his chest — “and then look at you.”

“You’re very capable of putting a shirt and shoes on.”

Bokuto pulled his eyelid down and stuck out his tongue. “That’s not what I meant. I just mean… you look so, like, fancy and stuff.” 

Akaashi did think he looked nice tonight, in a cream-coloured sweater and long, wool jacket. But Bokuto looked better than he knew in a suit, and besides, Akaashi didn’t marry him for his clothes. “I think you look wonderful,” he told Bokuto.

“I know you do, because you’re perfect,” Bokuto said. “I just don’t want to embarrass you, that’s all.”

Akaashi’s mouth fell open. “Koutarou. I have never, ever been embarrassed by you, and I’m not going to start now.” Bokuto mumbled something under his breath, looking down. Akaashi caught his chin and pulled it up. “Hey. Listen to me. I want to bring you to this party so I can show you off, okay? I want all of my colleagues to know what a funny, sweet, amazing husband I have.”

Bokuto’s pout disappeared. “Really?”

“Really. Is that alright?”

“Yeah, I guess…” Bokuto sniffled loudly. “God, Keiji, I love you so much!”

“I love you, too,” Akaashi assured him. “But instead of crying, can you put a shirt on, preferably one of your own? We’re going to be late.”

***

The party, thrown in honour of the launch of a new manga magazine by the company, was held in a restaurant downtown. It had been decorated with blown-up illustrations from the authors featured in the first issue, but it was hard to see them through the crowd. A lot more people showed up than Akaashi expected.

“Wow, it’s really packed,” Bokuto said. He had changed into a flattering, dark blue suit. Akaashi had knotted his tie for him.

Akaashi squeezed his hand. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just, um, don’t leave me alone, okay? Not yet, I mean—”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Akaashi said. He spotted a familiar face in the rabble. “Hey, there’s someone you’ll want to see. Udai-san!”

Udai Tenma made his way over to them. “Hey, Akaashi-kun! Hi Bokuto-san!”

“Tiny Giant!” Bokuto exclaimed. “Uh, sorry, I—”

Udai giggled. “No, I love it! No one calls me that anymore!” He took a sip of what looked like umeshu. “I saw your game against the Panthers on TV last week. That quick from Hinata — wow, that was amazing.”

“I know, right?! I swear he’s doing magic!”

They kept talking, dissecting the game point by point. Akaashi was happy to see Bokuto being his usual, bubbly self.

“Well, I should go find my editor,” Udai said, after they’d fully rehashed the match. “We should hang out soon, though!”

“That would be nice, Udai-san,” Akaashi said.

“Definitely!” Bokuto added.

“Cool! See you guys later.” Udai turned and disappeared into the crowd.

“Okay, before you say ‘I told you so,’” Bokuto said, “that was the Tiny Giant! Of course I can talk to him!”

Akaashi pursed his lips. “You can talk to anyone, Bokuto-san. I once saw you have a full conversation with a chinchilla in a pet store.”

“I _told_ you that chinchilla was trying to say something!”

Akaashi rolled his eyes. “Come on. I want to introduce you to my coworkers.”

They found three of the other editors on some low couches in the back. Bokuto attempted to hide behind Akaashi as they approached them, which, given his height, didn’t work very well.

“Hey, Akaashi-kun,” one of them said.

“Hey.” Akaashi dragged Bokuto out from behind him. “Koutarou, this is Hashimoto, Fujita, and Mori, and, I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met?” There was a woman with them that Akaashi didn’t recognize.

Fujita spoke up. “This is my wife, Ikumi,” he said.

“Very nice to meet you. This is my husband, Bokuto Koutarou.”

“Nice to meet you, Bokuto-san!” Mori said. “We’ve heard so much about you!”

Bokuto’s eyebrows flew up. “Really?”

“Oh, yeah,” Fujita put in. “Akaashi-kun never shuts up about you. He even makes us watch your highlight reels sometimes—”

“Okay, maybe you didn’t need to tell him that!” Akaashi yelped.

Bokuto leaned down to whisper in his ear. “Are you blushing?”

“No,” Akaashi lied.

The other editors made room for them on the couch, and the conversation started back up. Mori asked Fujita’s wife what she did, and it turned out she was a video game designer, which got them talking about games. Considering they were friends with Kenma, both Bokuto and Akaashi knew a lot about them, and Bokuto was able to participate in the conversation. They moved onto restaurants next, another topic Bokuto had plenty to say about. 

When they started talking about work, Akaashi got a little nervous, but then someone brought up _One Piece,_ which Bokuto loved, and suddenly he was talking more than Akaashi himself. Everyone was smiling while Bokuto spoke, laughing at the jokes he told, especially when they were about Akaashi. They all loved him, just like Akaashi knew they would.

“Hey,” Akaashi said in an undertone. “I want a drink. Do you want to come with me, or—?”

“No, you can go.” The smile on Bokuto’s face lit up the dark room. “Get me something, too, though!”

“Of course.” Akaashi kissed him on the cheek before leaving, making his coworkers wolf-whistle at them.

Hashimoto came with him to get a refill. “Akaashi-kun, your husband is great!”

“Thank you, Hashi-chan, that’s sweet.”

She nudged him in the ribs. “Not too bad on the eyes, either, huh?”

“Hashi-chan!”

“Just saying.”

They grabbed their drinks and headed back to the group. As they did, Akaashi saw someone else approaching, a woman in a sleek suit. “Oh, dear.”

“Hello, everyone,” the woman said, just as Akaashi sat down.

He bowed. “Hello, Takeuchi-san.”

“Your boss?” Bokuto whispered as the rest of the group greeted her.

“Yes,” Akaashi whispered back.

“I hope you’re all having fun tonight,” she continued. “I certainly…” Her eyes drifted over to Bokuto. “Do I know you?”

Bokuto sat up straighter. Akaashi took his hand. “Takeuchi-san, this is my husband, Bokuto—”

“Bokuto Koutarou!” she exclaimed. “From the MSBY Black Jackals! Of course, that’s why I recognize you!”

Bokuto’s eyes widened. “Y-you do?”

“My son is a _huge_ fan. He plays volleyball, too!” Akaashi was shocked; she was actually gushing. “Oh, this is terribly rude, but… could I get your autograph? He’d never forgive me if I didn’t ask.” She rummaged around in her bag for a pen.

“Um, yes, of course!”

“Here, here’s a piece of paper. His name is Isao.” She leaned over Akaashi to pass it to him.

“God damnit,” Mori muttered to Akaashi. “Now you’re gonna be the office favourite.”

***

They arrived home well after midnight, stepping out of clothes and shoes and falling straight into bed. Akaashi pulled Bokuto close, running his hands through his hair like he knew his husband liked. “So,” he said. “Was it okay?”

“It was. Your coworkers were all really nice. Even your boss!”

“Yeah, she sure loved you,” Akaashi agreed. She and Bokuto had talked about volleyball for longer than they had with Udai Tenma. 

Bokuto looked up at Akaashi with sleepy eyes. “Thanks for inviting me. Sorry I got so nervous before. Been awhile since you had to deal with Emokuto.” He laughed, but Akaashi could tell he was serious.

“I’m just glad you had fun. I knew you would, once you relaxed.” 

“You were right. Like always.”

Akaashi reached down to cup Bokuto’s face in both hands. “Everyone’s life is made better by your presence in it, Kou,” he said. “I hope you understand that.”

Bokuto was quiet for a moment. Then his lower lip wobbled. “Keijiii… am I allowed to cry now? Because that was so sweet!”

Akaashi laughed softly, pressing his face into his husband’s hair. “Only if they’re happy tears.”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me at kyrstin.tumblr.com.


End file.
